


Little White Rabbit

by Romandy



Category: Vinland Saga (Anime), Vinland Saga (Manga)
Genre: Eventual Smut, First Time, M/M, Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 09:27:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21195407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romandy/pseuds/Romandy
Summary: The rules of the game are simple, push Thorfinn off and Canute gets the meat all to himself. If only Thorfinn played fair. Takes place during the ten days Askeladd and his army stayed in Mercia back in episode 15.





	Little White Rabbit

**Author's Note:**

> When freed from the pressure of discussing politics and diplomacy, Prince Canute is like a little kid who runs his mouth without thinking his words through. Knowing this, Thorfinn plays along as they fall into a string of petty squabbles.

Word has been spread around that they’d be stuck in Mercia for a few days. What began as a light snow fall turned into a ravenous blizzard that had Askeladd’s army trapped in the village on all sides. Ragnar and a good many of Askeladd’s men worried that Thorkell and his men may catch up to them faster if they stayed in Mercia for too long.

“If this blizzard won’t let us through, then it won’t let Thorkell’s army through either.” Askeladd assured his men, to which they eagerly responded to by settling down and calling dibs on which empty house they’re taking for the night.

Ragnar moved his highness Prince Canute to one of the cosier houses in the village. Despite the shabby conditions of the shed, it was surely far more ideal than the wagon they had to sit on for days. Ragnar did as best as he could to fix any traces of the unspeakable bloodshed that may disturb the prince, lest he be reminded that a family might have been enjoying their dinner there just a few hours ago.

The prince was asked to wait outside while Thorfinn guarded him. Despite the cold, Canute did not dare attempt to go inside the shed before Ragnar was done, putting full trust in his word that he might not like witnessing whatever was on the other side of the door. He tucked his hands inside his cloak and clasped them together for some warmth and then took a peek to his side to see how his bodyguard had been doing. For the past few minutes, no words have been exchanged. While Thorfinn polished his blades to pass the time, the prince grew so bored that he internally debated whether he should strike up a conversation.

“I’m hungry.” Prince Canute started. He immediately regretted they way he decided to begin the conversation. Taking another peek to his side, it would seem that Thorfinn was not all too amused either.

“Stop complaining, brat. Can’t you nobles just be satisfied with salted meat?”

"I can’t. Surely, you don’t enjoy eating those withered morsels either.”

“Enjoying my meal is the last thing that’s on my mind when I am starving.” Thorfinn response was enough to shut the prince up.

A deafening silence followed. Thorfinn did not seem to be interested in continuing their conversation. The prince rattled his brain to find anything interesting that the other boy might be interested in talking about. He found nothing.

“I’m going hunting.” Thorfinn declared, finally breaking their silence.

“But isn’t it too late to catch anything, especially at such a late hour?” The prince called out as Thorfinn marched off into the woods.

“I’m bored.” That was Thorfinn’s only reply before leaving the prince all alone to sit idly near the shed.

~~

A few hours had gone by and the prince had already been settled indoors. Ragnar took great care to lighten the place up to make sure that Prince Canute was warm and cosy enough to stay comfortable during the night. His safety and comfort were of top priority, Ragnar insisted, which was why he immediately left to negotiate with Askeladd for a decent share of the rations they’ve just pillaged. Now all alone, Canute warmed his hands by the stove. The contents of the pot Ragnar had put on the fire consisted of boiling water and the same salted meat that the prince grew tired of.

The door swung back open to reveal Thorfinn. Without even bothering to brush off the snow from his shoes or even close the door, he immediately unloaded the contents of the brown satchel he had carried with him. The prince’s eyes lit up when he saw what Thorfinn had been carrying; a freshly skinned and gutted rabbit, all ready to be cooked.

“It’s too windy to light a fire outside, lend me the stove for a moment.”

Prince Canute did not know whether he should be offended that Thorfinn did not even wait for his or Ragnar’s permission to use the stove. All he knew was that he didn’t like the knave’s impetuousness.

“You plan to share that, I presume?” The prince asked. _Certainly, that would be the intention_.

“What?”

“You’re sharing the meat with Ragnar and I, correct?” He repeated himself. _There’s no way Thorfinn could be that rude._

Thorfinn did not even look at him during their rather one-sided exchange. But he did give pause for a moment before finally uttering out, “No.”

What followed them was silence, except for the crackling of the firewood as more kindling was added to the fire. The prince could not believe how ill-mannered Thorfinn was. There is simply, absolutely no way at all that Thorfinn was being serious right now. Canute creased his brow trying to conjure a plan on how he should approach Thorfinn and tell him to stop, but after a few moments his determination to confront the knave began to falter as began to debate whether such a confrontation is truly worth it in the first place.

“Y-you have no permission to use the stove.” The prince stammered. _Oh God_, he hated how childish his voice sounded. It would have seemed that Thorfinn caught on to that as well. Even though he was still facing away from him, Canute could just hear the smug look on his face when he asked, "What are you gonna do? Tell Ragnar?"

"N-no.” He replied, though his statement sounded more like an unsure question. “I told you before. I'm not a coward."

"Oh, I remember our conversation completely fine. You are a coward." Thorfinn’s replied as he poked around the fire.

"I think you misheard me. I said I was cautious not a coward.” Canute could feel his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. _Is there no way for him to save grace from this god-awful conversation? _

“Oh!” Canute clicked his tongue and clenched his fists by his sides in annoyance. “I can't even expect a low-born like you to even understand politics."

Thorfinn was silent again. He internally cursed Askeladd for forcing him to coddle a baby. He turned his back and the prince immediately looked down and into his seat like a scolded child. Thorfinn heaved a long and heavy sigh, releasing his bottled annoyance and irritated feelings against the prince.

"You're weak, princess.” He said with full intent to mock his highness.

“Y-you can’t just assume that! I can certainly handle myself fine.” Canute tried to counter his words, but his own retort was just too weak to be effective. He could not even look up to look at Thorfinn even as he began to stand up and approach him.

“Just look at yourself. You look like you're about to cry." He said as he stood up to confront Canute.

Canute’s head snapped back up, startled by Thorfinn’s words that he could barely form a response of his own. "I... you don't-"

"Just how long do you think you can keep acting like a baby? Grow up."

Prince Canute could not help being insulted by Thorfinn’s honesty. He despised the brashness in his words, especially when they were directed towards him, but at the same time could not help but envy him as well. They were the same age and yet Thorfinn constantly won over him. He stood up in one motion, hoping that his height would intimidate Thorfinn a little.

"I can handle myself just fine." He lied again to both Thorfinn and himself, hoping that this conversation would be over. He murmured his next words, unsure about the truth in them, “I don’t need you.”

Thorfinn did not back away, not in the slightest. Canute clenched his fists as he continued to stand his ground. Neither budged from their stance.

"Oh really? Well then." Thorfinn could no longer restrain himself, wanting to intimidate the prince in a challenge of strength. He took a step forward and pushed Canute until his back lay on the table.

Canute hit the back of his head with a loud thud. It took moments for him to be able to reorient his surroundings. When he came to, he was overwhelmed by his close proximity to Thorfinn.

"W-what on earth are you doing!?"

"Testing to see if what you say is true." Thorfinn said with a smug look on his face. "If you are strong enough to push me off, I'll let you have all the meat to yourself."

Canute's eyes widened in shock. What kind of challenge was this? He felt rough and callous hands tighten their grip around his own wrists, which were somehow already placed either sides of his head. He made several attempts to free himself by wriggling his arms off Thorfinn's iron grip. All attempts were futile.

"U-unhand me, knave." Prince Canute demanded, only to realize his voice sounded more like he was pleading for mercy.

Thorfinn stared at the prince. Within the depths of his mind, he found himself enjoying this. All his life, he’d had to prove himself to men older and stronger than him. He was always the young brat in the group, always having to compete with Askeladd’s men for notoriety, always having to follow Askeladd around and complete his suicidal quests.

But now, here he was, pinning the prince of Denmark beneath him. It’s not every day one would find a man of royalty spread onto a peasant’s table like a fine meal. It would make sense that he must dig in. He wanted to play more. Riding off his temporary high of his own ego, he smirked and leaned closer to the prince’s ear, lowering his voice to a low growl. "No."

The prince took a sudden intake of breath in response to Thorfinn’s taunts. The prince was helpless and he hated it. It reminded him of the times he tried to argue with his brother only to have Harald get the upper hand when their father took the elder brother’s side. Canute once again felt that unpleasant feeling he’d always gotten when he was being bullied by someone. It hurt then just as much as it hurt now. The discomfort of being caged into an uncomfortable position started to bite down at his nerves. He gave up trying to struggle. No longer able to handle the embarrassment, he began to honestly plead for Thorfinn to stop.

"Please... let me go. Please."

Thorfinn did not react. In fact, he was disappointed at the prince's lack of resolve. Of course he'd give up so easily. Thorfinn slowly eased his grip and leaned off the table. He looked down while Canute stared at the ceiling as his face contorted in tearless sobs of both sadness and anger.

“Guess I’m gonna take my business somewhere else.” Thorfinn concluded. He left the fire on the stove as is and took up the satchel that carried his catch.

But before Thorfinn could take his final step out of the shed, he heard Canute murmur something. He turned around with a confused look on his face, being that he didn’t catch any of what the prince had said. “What did you say?”

“… I never wanted to be this weak.” Canute repeated. Thorfinn could sense the anguish in his words.

“I already know I can’t fight you, or lead an army, or even face my father,” the prince continued, “I just wish my own self-awareness didn’t come with a whole lot of self-pity.”

The pang of guilt that tapped into Thorfinn’s chest continued to press even harder. _Perhaps he took it too far._

“Well, I’m glad you are fucking aware.” Thorfinn finished before closing the door on the dejected prince. He marched off to the next barn, bumping shoulders into Ragnar who had just returned with a haul of cabbages. Thorfinn clicked his tongue and turned his head to face the prince’s guardian.

“Hey cone-head! What good did it bring raising the prince like a little girl?” Thorfinn’s taunts startled Ragnar who turned to face him with a quizzical look on his face. But Thorfinn had already gone into another barn, leaving him wondering what had irritated the boy to speak to him in such a manner. Ragnar became even more confused when he returned to find Prince Canute solemnly eating his bowl of soup, seemingly disinterested in the basket of cabbage he brought with him.

~~

The next morning, Thorfinn and Prince Canute barely exchanged words with one another. Since Thorfinn was obligated to follow the prince around as his bodyguard, the air around them turned sour everywhere they went. Everyone could notice how pissed they both were at each other.

"Did the two of you get in a fight again?" Askeladd was already stressed enough from having to worry about avoiding Thorkell's army and managing his own. "Can't the both of you just settle your differences and move on?"

Neither of them dared to look at each other. The only response Thorfinn could give was to tell Askeladd to piss off. The prince resorted to playing with his hair to avoid any interaction.

"At least don't get the prince in trouble, Thorfinn." He concluded leaving the two of them behind to handle business somewhere else.

While the weather calmed down a bit during the morning, heavy clouds still hung low, obscuring the plains around them It would not be long until another snowstorm arrived. They will have to stay in Mercia for another day.

Prince Canute took a stroll along the fringes of the small village, begrudgingly having to take Thorfinn along to watch over him. Occasionally, he’d glance back at Thorfinn, whom he noted was always looking at every direction except straight at him. _He won’t even look at me. _The prince turned back, looking straight on ahead to hide his inner dismay. But every time he did, he couldn’t resist having one more look, and so he did.

“I don’t like it when you stare at me like that, princess.” Thorfinn suddenly spoke, startling Canute who quickly turned away.

Even with his head turned down, he felt the need to save face. “Y-you heard what Askeladd said,” he said referring to his words earlier. “Therefore, I believe you owe me an apology.”

Thorfinn just wasn’t feeling it. He already felt guilty from pushing the prince too far the night before, but not enough to break down his pride. Unable to bring himself to throw another round of insults at the prince, he reserved himself to silence hoping Canute would not try to press him any further. “Don’t wanna.”

Ragnar became their saving grace one he returned from complaining to Bjorn about Prince Canute not having enough furs and blankets to keep him warm in his sleep. Taking the opportunity of his return, Thorfinn found the perfect excuse to separate himself from the prince and clear his head.

~~

The sky remained gloomy the entire hunt, not that there was much to find anyway. With weather as cold as this, it would be possible that any creature fit for consumption might have already moved out or have dug underground to shield themselves from the harsh winds. Unlike before, Thorfinn had to venture deeper into the forest, searching for the perfect spot where rabbits would definitely be hiding.

There it was. Just underneath a gnarly root sprouting from an aged tree trunk, he spotted a rabbit’s den just barely covered by freshly fallen snow. He kneeled in front of the small burrow, digging out the snow and traces of dried up straw and twigs until he could get a clear view of what was inside. Thorfinn crouched to take a peek inside the den.

Even in the dim light, he could see movement from more than one creature. As the light in his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could finally confirm what was inside; tiny kits cuddled up next to their mother. He unsheathed one of his blades into his right hand and reached into the den to poke the mother rabbit out. Startled, the doe quickly rushed to the den’s only exit, abandoning its group of kits behind.

The chase was quick. Thorfinn forced the rabbit into the ground with his hand tightly gripping its neck. The doe struggled beneath his palm, kicking its hind legs with all the energy it had. Its white fur reminded Thorfinn of the prince's soft flowing platinum locks as they splayed loosely across the table. The doe kicked again, and its eyes began to show fear, the same one Canute had as he begged for mercy beneath him.

Seemingly, this provocative image of Prince Canute began to infect his mind. He could not blink away the image of the prince's erotic display. His hair splayed across the table, his shirt hiking up as his chest heaved revealing patches of pale skin peeking through the hem. Even the look of fear on the prince's face was just so alluring. His untouched, slender neck invited him to come closer, begging to be marked between his teeth. The very image of the prince both annoyed and admittedly aroused him as well.

Thorfinn’s eyes darkened. He did not want to think of the prince at this moment. Slowly, he raised his blade and made sure his grip on his prey was secure. The doe’s struggling began to slow down, as if it was ready to accept its fate. He brought down his dagger until its sharp edge penetrated the little white rabbit’s flesh.

_I never wanted to be this weak. _Those words continued to echo in his head. He recalled back to the days when he was a starving kid mourning for his father. He could never forget how useless he felt being unable to do anything as he watched his father die for his sake. He could never forget the humiliation of having to stoop down so low to survive in order to gain the strength to duel Askeladd. His mind recalled the rabbit’s struggle a few moments ago. He didn’t just see the prince in its eyes; He saw his weak and pathetic childhood self.

The rest of his routine went smoothly, just as he had done many times before. Slowly, he laid the rabbit on the snow and began to carve it open to dispose of the guts and separate the edible meat from the carcass. When he was done, he swiftly packed his catch into his satchel and stood up to begin his back to Askeladd’s base. Along the way, he found a flowing stream that had not yet frozen all over. Despite the freezing cold, Thorfinn bent down to wash his hands. To wash his face. To wash away every explicit thought about the Prince Canute. To wash away the guilt from forcing a mother to leave her infant kits behind.

~~

When Thorfinn returned, Ragnar had not began preparing a meal on the stove yet. He looked around the shed and confirmed that the stove had been left untouched since the last of its embers died out this morning. He decided to take the chance to roast his catch early to avoid having to deal with Ragnar and the prince. He laid his catch on the table and crouched down near the stove to start a fire. His content silence would be brief however, as a bored Prince Canute would soon barge in through the doors.

While Prince Canute stared at Thorfinn in surprise, the other merely glared and scoffed before resuming his work. Seconds ticked by as the prince watched Thorfinn tend to the fire he just started. He knew he had to say something.

“I pray you have not just returned to bring back more of your taunts.” Canute began, his words still carrying the leftover anger he felt from the night before.

“Sorry. I ran out of insults.” Thorfinn deadpanned, trying to seem uninterested in starting a conversation. Thorfinn remained silent hoping that he would just leave. He did not want to remember the fact that he had just imagined improper thoughts of the prince earlier.

A deafening silence followed. Canute found Thorfinn’s disinterest in him even more vexing than facing another barrage of insulting jeers. Like a little kid wanting to be noticed, he ran his mouth without thinking his words through.

“H-hey. You’re going to roast the meat right?” He began as if it wasn’t already an obvious observation. Thorfinn did not reply.

"I can cook. Give it to me. I'll tell Ragnar to fetch some vegetables so that I can make us stew."

"No way.” Thorfinn finally spoke, “Nobility like you can't cook."

“I-it’s a hobby.” Canute tried to explain. “Look, just hand the rabbit over and let me carry on your work this time-“

“Can’t you read the atmosphere, princess?” Thorfinn interrupted. “I do not need your help and I am not sharing.” _And just please leave._

“Well, can’t you see I am clearly trying to help? If you were offended by me trying to get a share of your catch even though you did all the work yourself, then I apologize for the insult. I want to make up for my mistake by cooking for you. Seems fair since you caught that rabbit all by yourself, is it not?”

Thorfinn just stared at the prince. He was slightly impressed by the how much Canute was able to reason with words. He could almost feel himself giving in, weighing his options on whether he should give up his meat or not. _It would be fun, he thought, if he made the princess beg for it. _He immediately winced realizing how stupid that thought was.

Thorfinn stood up and approached Prince Canute, ready with a speech of his own. “Well, listen up princess. I spent hours out in the cold looking at every tree to find where this thing lived,” he began while gesturing at the brown satchel that contained his catch, “I had to chase this rabbit out of its den and pin it down with my own hands. I had to drive my blade into that rabbit’s flesh and watch it bleed. And you are telling me that boiling water and sprinkling in a few pieces of wilted greens requires the same amount of effort as hunting?”

Canute was taken aback by Thorfinn’s rant. What kind of logic was the peasant operating on? He took a deep breath as he steeled himself. He didn’t want to lose this time.

“I didn’t imply any of what you’ve just said. I wasn’t being malicious.” Canute bit back. “I understand your right to be greedy, but don’t you dare try to act so petty when I am offering you my help.”

Thorfinn choked in surprise. He could not find a proper response against Canute’s reasoning. He stood up in defiance to the prince’s retaliation.

“If you really want fairness, then you should have gone out and caught this rabbit yourself. I even gave you a chance to have my catch all to yourself, but you gave up way too easily.” He then pointed again to the satchel that held his catch the day. “Even this rabbit had more of a fight than you.”

“I-I don’t think you understand what fairness really is.” Canute internally cursed himself for running out of ways to get back at the knave. Thorfinn observed the prince backing up into the table as he moved closer. Without hesitation, he placed his palms on the table, trapping Canute in between. The prince brought his arms closer, tightening them into fists as he attempted to put a barrier between the two of them. He looked to the side, unwilling to look at Thorfinn in the eye.

Once again, Canute found himself caged in by an imposing Thorfinn dominating over him. He continued to brace himself against Thorfinn, feeling the wood bite into his back as he leaned further away to avoid being so close to him.

“All right, you got me. I don’t wanna play your version of fair,” Thorfinn stated, putting up a look of jest to act mischievous, “Let me remind you what fairness is to me.”

In an instant, Thorfinn grabbed Canute’s wrists and pushed him down until he was back on top of him. He felt the legs of the table shake at the force but paid no heed.

"Same rules, princess. Push me off, and the meat is yours.”

Canute tried his best to act defiant. "This isn't funny, Thorfinn! Unhand me!”

"Stop ordering me around.” Thorfinn replied. “You look pathetic when you do."

And oh, how pathetic the princess truly looked. Thorfinn roamed his eyes over his prey and enjoyed the way Canute struggled to break free. His hair flowed across his shoulders, with a few strands stuck to his sweaty neck. Thofinn could feel a shameful warmth beginning to form itself low in his stomach.

"Come now, princess.” His voice became quiet, uttering the following words in such a way that only Canute could hear. “You better do something soon, or this will turn really bad."

The prince tried to twist his hips to the side, hoping he could get enough leverage to flip Thorfinn on his back. Unfortunately, Thorfinn caught on to the prince's plan. He climbed into the table, clamping his legs into both sides of Canute's hips, rendering his entire body completely immobile. He kept his grip on the prince, arching his body match his gaze, with his crotch just dangerously hovering over Canute's thigh. Once again, the prince displayed the same vulnerability and helplessness he showed to him the night before. Before long, Thorfinn started to accept that he was getting addicted to seeing the prince just like this. The thoughts that Thorfinn tried to tuck away began to scream louder and louder, demanding to be heard. He moved his head closer and closer, following the commands of his own desire.

Lips touched. Thorfinn planted a demure kiss onto the prince, not knowing how any of it worked. By instinct, he began to tilt his head for better access as he began to lightly nip at Canute’s lower lip. The prince emitted a muffled cry in surprise. Taking advantage of his open mouth, he slipped his tongue inside. The inside of Canute's mouth was warm and wet, enticing Thorfinn to crave for more. Just beneath him, the prince simply froze in shock. He gave no other physical reaction to Thorfinn’s intimate touch, unable to process what was happening at all.

Such a lack of response gave Thorfinn pause. He unlatched his lips and gazed at Canute. This is where the prince would reject him. _Seems fair. _This whole game they’d been playing was stupid, he realized. He shouldn’t have been fooling around like this, half-expecting for Canute to warm up to him. He began to back off and plant his feet back onto the floor, ready to leave the other behind again.

He would have done so completely, if the prince hadn’t sat up and grabbed his wrist to keep him from leaving.

Canute surprised himself when his arms performed such an action on instinct. He could barely even conjure up an appropriate response to explain himself. He could not even put an end to his indecisiveness nor his refusal to accept what he really wanted. He was unwilling to admit that he didn’t really want Thorfinn to go.

“I-I’m not done with you yet,” was all he could say before looking down to shield his eyes from Thorfinn’s gaze.

Thorfinn was silent again, unsure what the prince was getting at. He placed his hand on Canute’s, intending on prying them off. Canute responded by tightening his grip. _Does he want him to continue? _With a cautious hand, he brought Canute’s chin up to ease him into looking straight at him. The prince’s gaze was shy, but this time, he did not wish to look away. At that moment, Thorfinn decided to dispose all the guesswork on whether or not Canute liked him and seized his second chance.

“Neither am I…” Thorfinn replied before once again bringing their lips together. This time, the prince a bit more eager to receive him, even tilting his head slightly for easier access. Neither of them knew what they were doing. They were carried by the heat of the moment as they allowed timid lips to become more aggressive and passionate.

They did not stop until Canute began to audibly choke from breathing in their excessive spit. He unlatched his lips to find Canute coughing and gasping for air. The way Canute arched his chest towards him as he gasped for air made the exposed skin near his collar all that much more enticing. His lips descended to his neck and he began to suck and nip at the sensitive skin. Canute’s lips parted releasing a delicate gasp, sending another pulse of warmth down to Thorfinn’s groin.

Even more Illicit moans escaped from Canute’s lips, shameful sounds he had no idea he was capable of making. He brought his arms around Thorfinn’s neck, both to brace himself as he sat on the table and to keep the other boy close. Thorfinn’s lips travelled from the side of his neck to his earlobe, sucking and biting as he went.

If this were a competition of dominance, then it would be clear who’d be on top. Canute’s heart pounded at the ferocity of Thorfinn’s advances. The prince’s body reacted like a woman, incredibly sensitive to his partner’s touches and yet silently begging for more. Canute did not understand how he could be so scared and yet so willing to seek comfort in Thorfinn. Because there was no gentleness in the peasant boy at all. Thorfinn's kisses were full of feral lust.

The distant shouts from Askeladd’s men startled them both, causing them to immediately separate. That was when Canute realized that Ragnar was probably on his way back by now. He stood up and pushed Thorfinn to the side, putting a great distance between them in the room to hide the rosiness forming on his cheeks. A slight gust of wind blew from the window and Canute sensed a wet chill on his neck. He placed his hand on it and blushed again in embarrassment. Thorfinn did not think to be careful about leaving marks. Prince Canute was grateful for his long hair. He brought his hair to right side, where Thorfinn planted a majority of his love bites, and covered them hoping Ragnar would not find out what they had just been doing.

He turned around to look for Thorfinn, but he had already left the room, satchel and all.

~~

Dawn arrived up on their third day in Mercia. Slivers of sunlight peeked through the windows, gently poking the sleep off Thorfinn’s eyes. Once he was fully awake, he looked outside the window to check the weather. The harsh snowstorms began to let up a little and for the first time in days, everyone could see the blue sky peeking through the clouds.

Thorfinn went outside to stretch his legs and enjoy the sunlight. Askeladd’s men bustled about excited about the prospect of finally getting back on the road. New wagons were being made to accommodate the supplies they will have to carry around before continuing their march. If all went accordingly without fail, they would already be out of town after a few more days.

When the sun reached its highest point in the sky, Thorfinn went out to once again find food. He weaved his way around woodworkers and other men bustling about as he headed towards the edge of the forest.

“Thorfinn!” A voice called out and footsteps came swiftly towards him. Thorfinn turned around to find the blonde prince dressed down with a ponytail. It was quite a surprising view seeing the prince out of his chain mail and royal robe.

“What are you doing?” Thorfinn asked as Canute stopped in front of him.

“I’m bored. Take me hunting with you,” was his only reply. These words confounded Thorfinn’s mind. He had followed through the prince’s requests when he took him on walks around the village. He understood that the prince was the type to get bored easily from being cooped up in a small room or in a wagon for hours on end, to the point that he will pester Thorfinn into a conversation even if it bit him back later into a fit of embarrassment. But this request was rather different. He’d never asked Thorfinn to take him far from the village. Thorfinn clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned away, intent on refusing his request.

“Ragnar would not approve,” he said not even bothering to explain any further.

“He doesn’t have to know.” Canute explained. “Didn’t you have that whole speech about how only hunters should have a right to cook their own catch?” Canute asked as he began to follow Thorfinn. A pair of hands wrapped themselves around Thorfinn’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. “I’m tired of salted meat. You’re going to have to teach me to hunt.”

Canute’s words fell on deaf ears. Instead Thorfinn’s mind focused on nothing but on the way the prince held onto him. Canute soon noticed where Thorfinn was looking, yet his grip remained steadfast.

“I’ll learn quickly, I promise.”

Thorfinn was fascinated by how the prince looked when he was shy. How many more times will he continue to captivate him? He gave in to the prince’s commands and simply continued on his way, pulling behind a prince who internally felt triumphant at the approval of his request.

~~

Thorfinn and Canute walked around in the forest for some time, mostly unable to converse with one another. Besides, Thorfinn had said that they’d better stay quiet as to prevent signalling other creatures of their presence, Canute reasoned with himself to explain away his silence. While Thorfinn had mostly kept his focus on his surroundings, Canute once again could not take his mind and his gaze off his bodyguard. His grip on his borrowed dagger tightened and loosened as memories of the night before continued to play in his head again and again, bringing him little bursts of pleasant feelings every time the repeated the same scenario in his thoughts. While it was true that he wanted to follow Thorfinn into the woods to rid of his boredom, he was also admittedly looking forward to finding excuses to stay close to him.

He was suddenly pulled out of his daydream when a firm hand placed itself on his chest, completely stopping him in his tracks. Surprised, he looked at Thorfinn who signalled him to be quiet and pointed at the direction in front of him. Two bunnies hoped about a few meters away, completely unaware of the presence of two humans lurking nearby.

“I believe you said you wanted to learn how to hunt, Your Highness.” Thorfinn whispered into Canute’s ear, once again mocking the prince’s tenacity. The prince’s eyes widened in shock and he turned to Thorfinn. “But wait, what am I supposed to do?” It was clear he had never hunted before, but Thorfinn was merciless, or probably just a bad teacher.

“Just stay quiet before you are close enough to pounce on them.” And that was Thorfinn’s only advice before he pushed the prince forward, nearly putting him off-balance. Canute sighed to himself and did as the peasant boy told, occasionally looking back to an amused Thorfinn observing him as he leaned his side against a tree with his arms crossed. _Now he’s just mocking him. _Canute pursed his lips and turned He turned his head around to continue inching forward towards his target. His hands gripped tight around Thorfinn’s dagger.

His posture was low, crouching near the snow away from the view of the rabbits. Surely, he was close enough to strike. He wasn’t completely sure of it, but in his impatience, he jumped forward anyway ready to strike down one of the two targets.

Of course, he wasn’t successful. The two rabbits jumped off his periphery and threatened to hop away. Thorfinn could no longer hold his laughter and burst his sides so loudly that the prince could hear them echoing in the distance, but Canute could not let himself down, lest he allowed himself to lose in front of Thorfinn again. In a blind panic, he threw his knife towards one of the rabbits. The blade spun in the air towards its mark.

Thorfinn’s laughter came to a choking halt. The prince’s knife-skills were rather questionable, but Canute had hit his target. Well, the dagger did not hit the rabbit’s vitals, since it was still kicking frantically, but the knife had pierced into its large ears, pinning him down firmly to the snowy ground.

Canute’s mind froze for a few seconds before remembering that the rabbit might still escape. Quickly, he rose to his feet and ran to hold the rabbit down with one hand and grab the knife with the other. The rabbit continued to struggle under his grasp once the blade was freed. Canute could almost feel bile rising in his stomach at the horrid sight.

“I am really sorry.” These were Canute’s last words before he struck the poor creature down.

Thorfinn kept a cautious pace as he approached the prince, probably unable due to the shock from the carnage he had just caused. Once, he was close enough, he safely retrieved his dagger from Canute’s limp hand and bagged his kill into his satchel. He looked back at the prince; his body was still unmoving.

“Hey.” Thorfinn’s voice was soft as he grabbed a fistful of snow to wipe off the smears of blood from the prince’s hands. The sudden chill snapped the prince out of his shock. Their eyes finally locked into one another as Canute was fixated onto Thorfinn’s reassuring stare.

“You’re fine now.” Thorfinn said as he tried his best to console him.

~~

Their trek back was just as silent as their hike into the forest earlier, but this time the prince was just silent, unable to think of anything else except for the terrible events that had unfolded earlier. Thorfinn felt remorseful for having caused this state Canute was in now, for not refusing to take such a naive child out on a hunt. He knew the prince would someday mature, hopefully before he would be crowned king. But right now, all he saw was a little princess, needing to be comforted. He wanted to take the prince’s mind off the terrible memory of bloodshed. He did so in the way he knew best.

Thorfinn held his satchel up high, waving it in front of Canute’s face. “Since rabbit’s in my satchel now and not yours, guess it’s my catch then.”

"Absolutely not. I caught it fair and square." Canute seemed to catch onto Thorfinn’s antics, but wasn’t as enthused in playing around. Thorfinn didn’t give up though as he feigned trying to put the satchel out of Canute’s reach.

The prince reached a limp arm towards the satchel, still unenergetic. Thorfinn kept on moving the bag around, allowing the prince to get his hand close before pulling away to a different side. He continued to call the prince several insults, already knowing each and every word Canute didn’t like by heart.

"Too slow." Thorfinn mocked him. “I guess it’s another win for me today.”

Miraculously, that was enough to get Canute riled up. His attempts at grabbing the satchel became more desperate. Thorfinn began to twist and dodge around as Canute became more serious at trying to win their stupid little game. He began to position himself, ready to give chase.

But before Thorfinn could run away, Prince Canute grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled the other down with him. He pulled down with such a force that their combined weight threw them on top of each other. Thorfinn braced his arm above the prince just in time preventing the both of them from awkwardly bumping their heads into each other.

Heat rose from Canute’s cheeks in response to his close proximity to Thorfinn. He could already feel Thorfinn’s strong gaze piercing his very soul. Canute could not help his bashfulness as he planted his gaze everywhere but directly into Thorfinn’s. Meanwhile, just above him, Thorfinn chuckled to himself, only feeling grateful to get another chance to be this close to the prince.

“Look at me.” Thorfinn said in a low voice. He raised his free hand to cup the prince’s cheeks in order to ease him into looking up. Canute shut his eyes tight, mentally preparing himself, then slowly opened them to finally meet Thorfinn’s gaze.

For a third time, Thorfinn once again had the upper hand. He coyly smiled at the how cute the prince looked. Leaning forward, he continued to goad the prince on one more time. "Push me off, princess.”

This time, Thorfinn wasn't really holding him down anymore, Canute noted. Instead, he found himself in such a gentle embrace. His eyes focused themselves onto Thorfinn’s lips, which were forming into a lopsided grin.

"Hey, you aren't resisting. You're supposed to push me off, remember? Look, I even made it easy for you."

Canute placed his hands on Thorfinn's chest, preparing to push him off. But Thorfinn did not make as easy as it seemed. He remained firm in place, unwilling to budge in the slightest. The prince could feel the muscles under his shirt. It’s no wonder he’s been able to pin him down so easily. He never once played fair the entire time. Never.

Canute found his hands feeling for Thorfinn’s firm chest, and then slowly roaming towards Thorfinn's neck. He extended his arms to wrap themselves around the other in an embrace. The next thing he knew, he had already given in to the temptation and brought Thorfinn down in an open-mouthed kiss. Canute smiled into the kiss when Thorfinn met him half-way.

Thorfinn hummed in response, eagerly taking over the prince's mouth. He continued to hold Canute’s face, caressing a thumb over his cheek. Beneath him, Prince Canute shuddered in pleasure at his partner’s gentle touches. If the previous night had been a trickle of pleasure, then this time, he wanted a waterfall. The prince felt every drop of pleasure course through his body, taking its sweet time to be felt. Canute began to bury his hands into Thorfinn’s hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. He hoped he’d get the hint to be rougher with him. Once again, Thorfinn took over the prince’s mouth and slipped his tongue inside. His embrace took on a more possessive stance as he tightened his grip.

Thorfinn repositioned himself by placing a knee in between Canute’s thighs, searching for signs of arousal. It relieved him once he found out that the prince was just as hard as he was. He pressed in, providing friction for the other one’s hardness. Without even thinking, the prince found himself clamping his thighs onto Thorfinn's and cantering his hips upward in a cycle to find release for his erection. Canute’s sensual display of intimacy was enough to send Thorfinn over the edge. A kiss was no longer enough. He wanted more. He unlatched his lips from the prince with a pop and looked straight into his eyes.

"Fuck. I'm sorry Your Highness... but I'm really hard right now."

Canute blushed at Thorfinn’s shameless declaration of his arousal. He unlinked his arms and placed them back to Thorfinn’s chest, continuing to move them even lower. Canute broke his gaze from Thorfinn’s leaned forward to whisper into the other one’s ear. "Me too."

Timid hands reached for Thorfinn's belt. Thorfinn repositioned his legs and knees in order to give Canute better access. The prince took one more look at Thorfinn before pulling down his waistband. His cock sprung free, already half-hard and filling itself up quickly. Canute reached for the hard member and rubbed his dainty hands across its entire length until beads began to drip down from the tip. He jerked his hands in a repetitive motion, spreading pre-cum all over his cock.

Thorfinn grunted in pleasure. The feeling of soft hands on his erection was heavenly. His hips began to move on their own, gyrating into Canute’s delicate fists. Soon he found that the prince’s grip was too weak to firmly hold down his erection while he repeatedly jerked his hips forward. Canute noticed this too.

"Let me try something.” Canute offered before flipping Thorfinn into the ground. The sudden movement knocked the air out of Thorfinn’s lungs, leaving him surprised and confused by the prince’s actions. Canute smiled and planted a reassuring kiss on Thorfinn’s cheek before backing up to position himself between the other’s legs. He’d heard whispers in the court on the many ways women pleasured men, ways that at first shocked him the first time he heard them. There was only one way to find out if they were true. He lowered his head and began to poke his tongue onto the tip of Thorfinn’s arousal.

Thorfinn jumped at the foreign sensation that poked him. Looking below, he was greeted by an erotic sight of the prince timidly licking along his hard length. His breath hitched every time Canute licked off every bead of precum that rolled off the tip, occasionally lining his lips tight around the edges of the foreskin. Thorfinn reached down to push the fringes of platinum blonde hair off the prince’s face to get a clear view, promising himself he wouldn’t force himself into Canute’s throat. He continued to moan from these pleasant sensations, which escalated even further when Canute resorted to devouring his entire dick.

Thorfinn had touched himself before, but his own hand could not compare to the warmth that surrounded his hard cock and the rousing display Canute was performing below him. He could feel the prince’s tongue moving around in his mouth as he sucked him off. It was a shame that he could not last long, as bursts of semen spurted into Canute’s mouth before he could pull out.

Canute was quick and caught most of Thorfinn’s cum by pulling his shirt over his dick. Thorfinn on the other hand, trembled in pleasure. Canute’s mouth was replaced by his hand as he continued to pump his fist until Thorfinn was fully spent. When the last of the trembling vibrations ceased, Thorfinn sighed in relief. He covered his eyes with his arm as he took heavy breaths. Canute crawled forward in order to straddle the peasant. He leaned forward into Thorfinn to catch his lips into his own. He pushed Thorfinn’s hand back, pinning it down on the snow as both enthusiastically leaned into their kiss. _He looked adorable_, Canute thought, just like a little white rabbit. Something clicked in his mind, and he smiled, enjoying his little victory. They separated from each other to catch their breath but kept one another close in an intimate distance.

“Hey, look who’s being pinned into the ground now.” Canute teased, pressing his ass along the length of Thorfinn’s prick, still hard and begging for more.

Thorfinn’s chuckled at Canute’s tenacity. To think that their little game of strength was still on his mind. He jokingly raised his hands in surrender and smiled at the view of Canute sitting on top of him.

“All right. You caught me, princess.”

Canute smiled in return. Wanting to have the last word, he leaned forward, continuing to press his hips down to remind Thorfinn of his fervid arousal. His next words sent a shiver down Thorfinn’s spine.

“My turn.”

**Author's Note:**

> Arghhhh I’ve been working on this fic since October 11. But I have learned my lesson that if you work on a fic too much, you’ll end up with a mess of a story. I hope you made it through though despite the fact that I can’t write for shit. I still have an idea for a more fluffy/romantic/angsty(?) kind of fic for this ship so I hope I follow through with my promise when I say I have a few more Thornute fics coming soon. In fact, since I’m already caught up with the manga, I have another explicit Thornute fic ready to be uploaded as soon as the episode it will supposedly take place in is released. Thanks again for reading and I welcome all reactions in the comments, good and bad.


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